Take 5: Five quick takeaways from the Falcons’ 31-25 loss to the Colts in Berlin

It was all right there.

The Falcons had a 25-22 lead with less two minutes remaining in the fourth quarter.

Colts quarterback Daniel Jones led a frenetic drive and Michael Badgley tied the game with a 44-yard field goal with 27 seconds remaining in regulation.

And Jonathan Taylor finished it off, capping his 244-yard game with his third rushing touchdown, leading the Colts to a 31-25 overtime victory at Olympic Stadium in Berlin.

The Falcons’ defense showed up big after the first quarter, holding the Colts in check after a 13-point scoring outburst in the opening period.

Time after time, the defense got a hold or a fourth-down stop, and they accounted for a season-high seven sacks, but it was the stops in the middle two quarters and early in the fourth period that helped set up the offense.

The defense ran out of gas, though, late in the game. They surrendered the tying drive and they didn’t have an answer for Taylor, nor rookie tight end Tyler Warren, who had eight catches for 99 yards.

Rookie combo

It hasn’t been especially consistent, but when the Falcons’ rookie combination of Jalon Walker and James Pearce has clicked, it’s been something to behold. For the second time this season, the pair teamed for a sack-fumble play, and in the third quarter Sunday, it knocked the Colts out of scoring position, while the Falcons held the lead.

They also had a big sack on the Colts’ final drive of the fourth quarter when they were trying to drive to tie or win the game.

Overall, the Falcons’ defense has been improved this season, and while they’ve struggled against the run, they’ve been one of the best in terms of pass defense.

It’s still incremental steps they’re taking, but getting more of those game-changing plays could help turn the season around. Walker had a sack on the same series, and when they’re able to get pressure on the quarterback, it changes what they’re able to do defensively, balancing when the offense is having trouble finding a rhythm.

London in Berlin

Drake London picked up where he left off last week, when he had his best game of the season, which included three touchdown catches. He was matched up with the Colts’ new acquisition, Sauce Gardner, for most of the game, but he exploited the coverage lapse.

He finished with six catches for 104 yards and the score, and he shined again in a tough head-to-head matchup.

The offense didn’t have much more in the passing game. Michael Penix Jr. had just 12 completions, and London had half. The other big weapon, Kyle Pitts, had just two catches for 38 yards.

Assessing the QB

Penix struggled again, and the short-handed offensive line didn’t give him a ton of time to throw. When he did throw, he missed on some big passes, including a throw to Pitts that could have turned the momentum and given the offense some juice.

With the offense unable to put points on the board late in the fourth quarter and in overtime, those opportunities were critical. He finished 12-of-28 for 177 yards and the touchdown to London.

It’s fair to question the variety of the offense, and when they found some leverage with Tyler Allgeier and Bijan Robinson running the ball, they stuck with that. But Penix has to lead the charge in making more happen.

Turnovers and kicks

After the defense struggled to get stops in the first quarter, the Falcons got back in the game by stringing together some holds. That included an interception by Jessie Bates III before halftime, the sack-fumble by Pearce and Walker and some turnovers on downs on fourth-down stops.

By ending those drives, the offense had a chance to get on track and to get points on the board with a pair of touchdowns.

The Falcons’ third kicker this season, Zane Gonzalez, made both extra-point attempts and a 43-yard field goal. Gonzalez was the choice after the team parted ways with John Parker Romo, who missed an extra point that would have tied the game late in last week’s loss to New England.